Last year's global sales of Japanese cars decreased by 1.3%... "Impact of Chinese EV surge and tariffs"

Last year's global sales of Japanese cars decreased by 1.3%... "Impact of Chinese EV surge and tariffs"

The global market sales of Japanese automobiles last year slightly decreased compared to the previous year, influenced by factors such as the surge of Chinese electric vehicles and the tariff policies of the US Donald Trump administration.

On the 28th, local media outlets, including the Yomiuri Shimbun, reported that global sales of Japanese automobiles last year totaled 24.1 million units, a 1.3% decrease from the previous year.

Top manufacturer Toyota Motor Corporation recorded an all-time high of 10.47 million units sold, a 2% increase from the previous year, driven by strong performance of hybrid vehicles in the North American market.

The group's total global sales, including Daihatsu and Hino Motors, also reached a record high of 11.28 million units.

Suzuki Motor Corporation also saw a 2.4% increase, selling 3.31 million units, surpassing Nissan Motor Corporation to claim third place.

However, other major manufacturers, except for Toyota and Suzuki, experienced a decline in global sales compared to the previous year. This was attributed to struggles in the Chinese market and reduced production due to US tariff policies.

Second-place Honda Motor Corporation recorded global sales of 3.43 million units (an 8.6% decrease), with its sales in China plummeting by 24.0% to only 610,000 units.

Honda plans to suspend operations at one factory in China this June, where the automotive market is being restructured around domestic electric vehicles. Honda recently announced the termination of its automobile sales business in the Korean market.

Nissan's global sales last year were tallied at 3.15 million units, a 4.2% decrease, and Mazda's at 1.22 million units, a 6.1% decrease.

The Yomiuri pointed out that with growing concerns about sluggish sales of Japanese cars in the Middle East due to the prolonged Middle East situation, high oil prices could increase demand for EV replacements, potentially further contracting Japanese automobile sales in the future.